Jersey City tax preparer and former school teacher sentenced to 18 months for tax crimes

A Jersey City tax preparer who also worked as a public school teacher was sentenced today to 1 1/2 years in federal prison for filing false tax returns on behalf of clients and not reporting his own income, an official for the Internal Revenue Service said.The Star-Ledger

JERSEY CITY — A Jersey City tax preparer who also worked as a public school teacher was sentenced today to 1 1/2 years in federal prison for filing false tax returns on behalf of clients and not reporting his own income, an official for the Internal Revenue Service said.

Elijah Washington Jr., pleaded guilty in February to aiding in the preparation of false tax returns and tax evasion, according to a statement released in February by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Authorities said in February that while working as a school teacher in Jersey City's public schools, Washington owned a tax-preparation business at which he prepared returns for the tax years 2005 to 2008. During that period, authorities said, Washington fabricated items in order to win larger refunds for clients, including tuition and fees deductions, child tax credits, charitable contributions and job expenses.

In addition, authorities said at the time, Washington failed to report his own income on the money he earned from the tax business, which was named Elijah's Professional Tax Service.

Earlier today, Robert Glantz, a spokesman for the IRS's criminal investigation division in Newark, said U.S. District Judge Jose Linares in Newark sentenced Washington to the prison time, along with two years of supervised release after he is discharged from prison and a $4,000 fine.

An email and text message sent to Washington's defense attorney were not returned today.

The U.S. Attorney's press office did not provide comment on the sentencing as the office is closed due to the federal government shutdown.